Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Times Of Israel: Updated LiveBlogging Election Coverage


Amid deadlock predictions, early vote count gives Likud slight lead


The Times of Israel is liveblogging Israel’s election day events through Tuesday and into Wednesday.


Channel 12: Unofficial tally of 85% of votes shows Knesset deadlocked

Channel 12 is reporting results it says it has received from inside sources in the Central Elections Committee, which the news channel claims reflect around 85% of the national vote.
According to those unofficial results, Likud and Blue and White are tied at 32 seats; next is the Joint List with 12 seats; Shas and Yisrael Beytenu have 9 seats each; United Torah Judaism has 8; Yamina has 7; Labor-Gesher is at 6; and the Democratic Camp has 5.
The right-wing bloc has a total of 56 seats, the center-left has 55 and Liberman has 9.
Channel 12 explains its data on the fact that a large majority of votes have already been counted, but due to increased scrutiny, the CEC is doing recounts in order to ensure the information it puts out is accurate.

Netanyahu expected to meet with right-wing leaders Wednesday

Benjamin Netanyahu will invite right-wing party leaders to a meeting on Wednesday afternoon, reports say.
With the meeting, the prime minister will kick off his attempts to shore up right-wing support for his continued leadership of the country.


PM: We must block government with anti-Zionist, terrorist-glorifying Arabs

Benjamin Netanyahu takes the stage.
“As you see, I am hoarse,” he begins, as a heckler yells his praises from the crowd. “And as you know, it’s better to lose your voice than to lose the country!”
The prime minister thanks his supporters, ministers, and mayors who backed him.
“I said the election was hard. That’s not the word,” says Netanyahu.
“We faced a campaign that was so tilted against us by the biased media, so against us,” he says.
“We’re still waiting for the results. But one thing is clear, the State of Israel is at a historic turning point. We are facing immense opportunities, and immense challenges… including the existential threat from Iran,” says Netanyahu.
He praises the soaring Israeli economy and flourishing diplomatic. And he says Israel must ensure these achievements continue.
The Trump administration will soon unveil its peace plan, and the negotiations over it will shape Israel for years, he says.
In the face of this, Israel needs “a strong government, a stable government, a Zionist government, a government that is committed to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people,” Netanyahu says.
There cannot be a government that relies on the anti-Zionist Arab parties, he continues. “Parties that praise and glorify blood-thirsty terrorists who kill our soldiers, our citizens, our children.”
He is interrupted by chants of “we don’t want unity.”
Netanyahu says he spoke to his prospective coalition partners, who all stand with him, and will soon launch negotiations to create a “strong Zionist government” and thwart the formation of a “dangerous anti-Zionist” government. “We will protect this country,” he vows.


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